Awakening Reason is the dawning of a new era in our society. It is the day we empower a government for the people and by the people. The government will stop overspending, the rich will pay their fair share, and there will be no more lobbyism, bribery and backroom deals. Laws will be clear and protect the people. We will go back to banking and corporate regulation.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Campaign Contributions

Campaign contributions are nothing more than bribes to get laws passed in favor of the highest bidder. That is why the people lose every time. We can’t compete with corporations. This is a great video on how campaign contributions are used.

“By limiting the influence of big money in politics,” said one of the senators, Tom Harkin, an Iowa Democrat, “elections can be more about the voters and their voices, not big money donors and their deep pockets. We need to have a campaign finance structure that limits the influence of the special interests and restores confidence in our democracy.”

The framers of our Constitution gave us a republic. They meant by that a “representative democracy.” Or as Federalist No. 52 put it, a Congress “dependent upon the People alone.”

Despite the founders’ intentions, Congress has evolved from a dependency “upon the people,” to an increasing dependency upon the funders. Members spend 30 percent to 70 percent of their time raising money to stay in Congress, or to get their party back in power. Less than 1 percent of Americans give more than $200 in a political campaign. No more than .05 percent give the maximum in any Congressional campaign. A career focused on the 1 percent — or, worse, the .05 percent — will never earn them the confidence of the 99 percent.